


Mutually Beneficial

by MJ1Hawk



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: F/F, F/M, First Time, Fluff and Smut, Mutual Masturbation, Oral Sex, Romance, Sex, Threesome - F/F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:55:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25229449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MJ1Hawk/pseuds/MJ1Hawk
Summary: Three chapters total. Cloud, Aerith, and Tifa have been together for six months and haven't jumped into sexual territory yet. Mostly because people around the newly opened Seventh Heaven won't stop hounding the three, but also because of their own personal insecurities and worries. Watch them submerge themselves into unchartered territory little by little.
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife, Aerith Gainsborough/Tifa Lockhart, Aerith Gainsborough/Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife
Comments: 17
Kudos: 52





	1. Exhaustion and It's Benefits

  
"What the HELL kinda backwards world are we living in?!" Tifa just purses her lips and digs her fingers into the counter of her freshly reopened bar. The drunk man who's already spilled his tenth hard drink on the wood floorboards is still leaning over the counter and howling at her. The other twelve people in the place are either completely ignoring it and talking amongst themselves, or they're struggling to decide whether to jump in or not. This guy, with his bald head sweating, and his foot stomping on the stool, has been a regular since the old Seventh Heaven debut. So Tifa's letting him go off. Everyone has a bad night… she tries to justify. "I mean YOU--YOU lost yer damn mind! How can ya think dating two people at the same time isn't insanity?!" Tifa just sighs and glances around the room. Quite a few people in the crowd shift uneasily. It's been a topic she's been confronted about quite a few times since someone found out two months ago.  
  
"I understand your discomfort. That's why the three of us try our hardest to keep it platonic in public," Tifa tries. But the man in front of her is too drunk to even hear her words. He just sags against the counter and drops his head against his forearm that's splayed out. "I'm sorry to do this Eddie, but I think you need to go."  
  
"Oh come o--"  
  
"--You heard me," Tifa presses, crossing her arms. "I'll see you tomorrow when you're sober, ok?" Eddie snaps his head up, looking like he's raring to go all over again before--  
  
"Hey," comes a gritty huff. Eddie's eyes blink before they widen. "You heard her. Go. Or else." Cloud, in his black t-shirt and baggy pants leans against the front door of the bar. His presence makes everyone quiet down, and maybe it sort of pleases him that he can still demand the attention of a room so effortlessly if need be. Cloud’s fingers flex until he balls them up and furrows his tight brows. Eddie pushes off the counter, nearly tripping over his wide boots and knocking into another younger man before he trudges toward Cloud who's holding the door open for him. As Eddie slowly makes his way closer, he flips Cloud off (which only makes the blonde chuckle) before barking out a,  
  
"You shouldn't be entitled to having two, ya know. Seems to me like you just can't choose between ‘em." Cloud can't actually think of a comeback for once. Not even so much as a shut up travels up his throat before Eddie is tumbling down the steps and dusting himself off. The room Eddie leaves behind is disrupted beyond belief, and while Cloud quietly thinks to himself as he throws a couple darts, Tifa worriedly watches him as she pours a few drinks for the five people left.  
  
Forty Minutes Later:  
  
Tifa wraps her arms around Cloud's middle and he nearly jumps out of his skin. She grins at the back of his head and kisses his clothed shoulder. He was still deep in his game of darts and didn't even notice she had already closed the bar's doors for the night and flicked off a couple lights. Cloud sighs and removes himself from her arms so he can put his lightweight red and yellow darts back in their place. Tifa shrugs off his lack of response and leans against the newly acquired arcade machine Cloud bought the bar with the money from his last solo gig. She smiles at the pixelated screen with fondness before Cloud speaks up.  
  
"Maybe he was right," Cloud mumbles, looking at his feet and putting a hand on his hip. "That's what everyone says who finds out. 'Maybe you just can't choose between them.'" Tifa wrinkles her lips and shakes her head no.  
  
"They're wrong Cloud. You know how we all feel about each other." Tifa tries her hardest to meet his bright eyes but Cloud just won't allow them to peel away from his own feet. "Don't make me tell Aerith you're doubting this again."  
  
"Ugh." Cloud finally looks up into her glassy red eyes and itches his scalp. "Anything but that." Tifa has to crack a grin at the exhaustion in his voice. Last time someone confronted the three's relationship, it was when they were all together, and after Aerith just happened to knock over the woman’s freshly ordered flowers (and ruined that business relationship) Cloud had regretfully asked Aerith if this was too much public attention for them and their respective businesses. Aerith went off at him in the middle of the Sector 5 slums and slapped him right over the head to both his and Tifa's surprise.  
  
"She really is the fiesty one of us," Tifa laughs lightly, hugging her own arm. Cloud smirks before dropping his lips again. His eyes lock onto Tifa's one more time as he lets out a final sigh and tries his damndest to forget the whole conflict. Not like that's gonna happen anytime soon, Cloud annoyingly thinks. It's literally burning the back of his mind and no matter how much he itches at his scalp it just won't buzz off. Tifa, of course, already saw this coming, and she hands him a freezing cold glass of water she set on one of the new steel tables. He hums before nearly swallowing the whole thing in one go.  
  
"Cloud," she chides. "You're gonna get a stomach ache doing that."  
  
"It's not alcohol. I'm fine," he argues, swallowing the last quarter… just to feel a sharp pain in his stomach. He winces before rubbing at the spot. Tifa puts both hands on her hips and shakes her head with bored yet affectionate eyes. "Yeah yeah…."  
  
"Oh just hug me already, will you?" Tifa pretty much throws herself at him and he has no choice but to reciprocate this time around. He pretends to be so stoic but we all know he's a huge softy. His warm hug always feels amazing even in the dead middle of a scorching summer (especially without the protection of Shinra plates). Tifa stuffs her face under his chin and presses a chaste kiss to his bulging cartilage. He squeezes her just a little tighter before letting go and leaving a kiss on the top of her head. Both of them can just imagine Aerith obnoxiously cooing at the gesture and they chuckle under their breaths. He picks up his empty glass and swiftly walks to the sink. "You don't have to clean it; I'll take care of it tomorrow." Cloud just waves her off and the sink groans before turning on. Tifa settles on to a stool and watches him clean it so thoroughly. One of the best things about him is that right there; everything he does he tries to do his best at. She doesn't even realize she's dreamily staring at his back like a little girl until the swinging of the front door interrupts them both.  
  
"Hiya!"  
  
"Aerith!" Tifa hates to see herself acting this lovesick, jumping out of her seat just to run over and scoop someone up in her arms. 'Never did I ever think this would happen to me,' Tifa thinks, feeling giddy all over. Aerith kisses her girlfriend’s nose and hugs her back as tight as her skinny little arms can.  
  
"Hug me tighter than that," Aerith dares her.  
  
"You're gonna regret that," Cloud mumbles as he dries his cup. Tifa tsk's at him before lifting Aerith off the ground and squeezing her ribs until cartilage pops pleasantly in Aerith's spine. Aerith snickers before being put down again, and Tifa breathes in the flowery scent of Aerith's hair that's looking a little messier today than usual. Cloud steals the words right out of Tifa's pouting mouth when he asks,  
  
"Why’d you come over here alone at this time of night?" He shuffles his way around the counter and looks down at Aerith looking peeved beyond belief. Tifa can't blame him. When the world flipped on its head after the plates went down, people from all over (good and bad) were swimming through the different sectors. Tifa had her fair share of creepy men howling at her at one AM and her and Cloud both dreaded imagining the kind of things those guys would shout at an innocent looking woman like Aerith who was too cute for her own good… even when she had dirt all over her cheek. Speaking of which, Tifa dusts off the side of Aerith's face as Cloud scolds her. "You know Tifa and I were planning on going over to you and your Mom's house tonight, so why'd you come here?"  
  
"Jeez you two act like I haven't been doing this since I was a little girl!" Aerith reaches up and squishes Cloud's nose and he literally whines at her before Tifa speaks up again. In her softest voice, she says,  
  
"You know we mean well." One side of Aerith's lips lift and she nods slowly. "After everything that's happened…" All three of them shut their eyes and they can see Sephiroth's blade going right through Aerith's back before they open their eyes, all looking a little panicked again. Aerith doesn't allow them to sulk though, because she pulls them both into a hug by the back of their necks and explains that,  
  
"After everything that's happened you two should know nothing will ever be as bad as… that." Tifa and Cloud lock eyes. 'She isn't wrong.'  
  
"Fine," Cloud exhales, finally hugging Aerith's slim waist. "But I don't have to like it."  
  
"That's fair." The two women smile at Cloud's disgruntled sigh before they all pull apart. The one light that's still on in the bar shines down on Aerith perfectly like a spotlight. Tifa has to realize the irony of it all. Even the world knows she's special to this day.  
  
"So why did you come here?" Cloud's question sparks equal curiosity in Tifa. Aerith bites her lip, not like that's distracting or anything, and coyly rubs at her opposite shoulder.  
  
"Well… I could be blunt like this cutie over here," Aerith boops Cloud's nose and he steps back. "Or I can beat around the bush like someone I know."  
  
"...Hey," Tifa warns weakly, covering her eyes. Aerith bounces on her heels in delight.  
  
"But I'll do neither and be perfectly in the middle." Aerith takes one look at Cloud's serious face and pulls him against her in a hug while her eyes lock onto Tifa's. "I didn't think my Mom would appreciate hearing what I had planned for tonight." Tifa raises a brow, not sure what to think of that.  
  
"What the hell does that mean?" Cloud says just what Tifa's thinking again.  
  
"Oh come--" Aerith lets go of Cloud and interlaces his and her fingers. "--It's been three months since we decided to all commit to this relationship. I mean, cuddling, hanging out, _kissing _," Aerith sighs happily at the thought and Tifa must agree with that sentiment. "There's just one thing we haven't done yet." Ok, Tifa knows she's blushing hard now. When she looks at Cloud with her eyes as wide as plates, he looks unimpressed.  
  
"...I don’t get it." Aerith slaps a hand over her face and Tifa quietly cuts in, nudging his shoulder with her knuckles.  
  
"She’s talking about sex, Cloud." And now it's his turn to blush. He turns his head away from them both before turning back around and rubbing the bridge of his nose.  
  
"Are you serious? How… how does that even work with three people?" To be honest, Tifa has been thinking about that prospect a lot, especially because of something that happened between her and Aerith last week.  
  
Last Monday, 9:11 PM:  
  
"We never get to be alone, you know?" Aerith had been bugging Tifa about it quite a bit since the week before then. She wasn't wrong. It especially didn't help that Tifa was just so busy with the bar and building up her clientele again. Cloud had just left an hour prior to get an early rest at his and Tifa's shared apartment near the bar that they hadn't even had time to decorate (turns out Aerith would be the one to do most of that work for them). He had a two day long job coming up in the morning and he hardly kissed the two women goodnight before he took off. That just left Aerith and Tifa to close up the bar and decide where they'd be spending the night. Even though Aerith's mother didn't know the specifics of the three's relationship, she allowed even Barret to sleep at the house if need be. Aerith had tried convincing Cloud and Tifa her mother would accept it given time, but the two were incredibly skeptical, so Aerith let it go for now.  
  
Tifa was scrambling to do all the last minute things, hauling her ass all over the back and front of the bar until Aerith, talking at Tifa the whole time, realized a vital thing; Tifa, with bags fabulously resting under her eyes, and hair looking limp at the ends, was utterly exhausted. Of course Tifa would never admit it, and Cloud would never call it out until he had to, so Aerith took it upon herself to quietly grab Tifa by her buff bicep, and physically stop her from moving. Tifa looked a little confused by the sudden strength in Aerith's hold before lips found her own, just grazing them. Aerith wrapped her arms around Tifa's sturdy shoulders and looked into Tifa's burning eyes.  
  
"You need a break, and we need some girl time." Tifa nodded subtly as her fingers picked at the back of Aerith's new dress Tifa had bought her last month. It was pink and a little shorter than her usual one, but it looked adorable nonetheless with lace sleeves. "So come over to my house and I'll even paint your nails. How about it?" The peppy sweet voice in Tifa's ear was coursing through her blood and heating up every part of her.  
  
"Can't promise I'll stay awake for the nail salon part." Aerith hummed, amused.  
  
"Then let's just get you a hot shower and we can lay in bed together?"  
  
"Alright."  
  
Thirty Minutes Later:  
  
They had been in bed, and Tifa's wet hair was up in a messy bun as she sat against Aerith's headboard. Tifa could have sworn this bed was better than anyone else's but that's probably just because if she was in it, that meant Aerith was too. She was especially reminded of this fact when Aerith rolled onto Tifa and pressed her head against Tifa's shoulder. It felt almost unreal, because these kinds of situations didn't happen often between the two. The irrational worry of jealousy spiked up a flare in Tifa's heart, but of course, Aerith already saw that coming. The radio next to Aerith's bed was playing a soft jazz song just loud enough to hear and only a candle was flickering beside that. Tifa's brow was tense, and she was staring up at the ceiling trying to hide the last bits of anxiety from the woman she was holding tight against her side. The thin sheet over their waists didn't do much either in the way of comfort. Tifa's whole body constricted when Aerith's mouth sucked and kissed at her neck without warning. Aerith humed at that strain she could sense by the shaking arm holding her, and Aerith decided to drag her fingers over Tifa's bare stomach. The shirt Tifa sleeps in is just like the one she almost always wears, but this one is silky and a little looser. And when Aerith's hand slowly raised up just to the side of one breast so as not to say she wasn't quite touching it yet, Aerith remembered Tifa left her bra off this time. Tifa could tell Aerith's mind was turning, and Tifa got increasingly nervous. Much like Cloud, Tifa wasn't really the initiator… Aerith seemed to know just how to get the ball rolling.  
  
"Tifa…" the sound of Aerith saying that, just for her to hear, shook Tifa down to her core, and her whole body sung and twitched. "I think I know what would help you really loosen up."  
  
"H-hm?" Aerith's fingers danced over the silk again, this time boldly resting against the full breast to make Tifa's skin tingle.  
  
"Would you feel comfortable touching yourself?" Tifa abruptly sat up and Aerith was forced to do the same. She didn't entirely take her hand off Tifa but she put it in a safer place.  
  
"I--That's um. I… I'm not sure." Tifa self-consciously picked at the sheets sewn by hand. "Do you think Cloud would be upset if we did something like that?" Anxiety riddled her chest. Aerith rubbed at Tifa's back and played with her hair.  
"We don't have to do anything," Aerith made sure to say. "But I talked to him about it before. He didn't seem upset if we kissed or anything." Tifa had let that sink in. "He isn't exactly the most physical man I've met, I wouldn't be too surprised if he isn't very sexual either." Tifa tried thinking back to a time Cloud showed any interest in women let alone either of them in a sexual way besides being emotionally there. She couldn't really think of any. When Tifa finally looked back at Aerith who's cute green eyes peered right back at her, she was reminded of all the passing thoughts she's had about this woman for longer than their relationship had even started. Of course, having never thought about sex with women, she mostly thought of Cloud when she was in a mood, but lately, it's been Aerith more than anything. They just haven't... talked about that stuff. So Tifa took in a huge, lung filling breath, and laid back down with Aerith.  
  
"It's kind of embarrassing though," Tifa admitted quietly. Aerith had to strain to even hear her, but once the pieces connected, Aerith worried her brow in understanding and kissed Tifa softly one more time. "I think I want to." Tifa knew she was as red as a hydrant right then. Aerith didn't even tease her like she usually would, instead just nodding supportively. All of a sudden, Aerith sat up a little and pulled her nightdress over her head. Tifa's eyes went wide and she looked away as if not to stare. Aerith smiled at that and physically turned Tifa's chin back to her. The constant thumping of both their hearts was distracting, but Tifa just couldn't get herself to look away again. The blankets were covering the most intimate part of her girlfriend but her small breasts looked beyond amazing. "Is--is your door locked?"  
  
"Mhm." Aerith held herself up with one arm and started pinching at one of her own hard nipples just to get a rise out of Tifa. It worked. Better than expected really. Tifa didn't know what came over her but her mind and her body separated and her mouth was sucking on Aerith's opposite breast, leaving a dark mark on the fair skin. "Nn. That feels so good." A little bubble of pride caught in Tifa's chest before Aerith reminded her to, "Touch yourself." Tifa paused her tongue before, at a snail's pace, she spread her legs just enough to reach between with her calloused hand and rub over her shorts.  
  
"Hnn!" Tifa breathed in hard and bit down on a nipple, moaning when Aerith's whole body vibrated. She could tell just from the minute touching, she was already soaked enough to feel it through her shorts and underwear. "Are you sure this is ok?" Aerith nodded almost miserably, wanting nothing more than to see Tifa do something so intimate to herself. Tifa braced herself and reluctantly released Aerith's breast while she hooked both thumbs into her shorts and pulled them off, kicking them down the bed under the covers and groaning at the wetness sticking to the insides of her legs. "Gosh what are you doing to me?" Aerith chuckled sweetly and sat up a little closer to Tifa's mouth. Tifa glided her fingers over her clitoris and her whole body rocked forward. "Aerith." The woman she called for whined in the back of her throat and started playing with her own nipple again. The sight of that just made Tifa even wetter and she was already able to rub pretty fast. The clicking of her arousal embarrassed her but when she tried to slow down, Aerith grabbed Tifa's wrist and sped her up again.  
  
"Please don't feel weird. You look so sexy," Aerith whispered with heavy lidded eyes. Tifa didn't want to let Aerith hear her moans so she sucked on her own tongue. That was working well, and she was enjoying the sight of Aerith, drinking her in, until she stretched and slid a finger inside of herself and moaned loud enough for someone to hear. Of course that broke her moment and she pulled her finger out. "Baby," it always did feel special when Aerith said that word. "Just a little quieter, ok? But don't hold it back. Let me know how good you feel. Come on." Aerith released her own breast to touch Tifa's, and soon Tifa went back to it. Had she ever been this turned on in her life? It was a thousand times better than any fantasy she'd ever had, and she wasn't even being touched let alone doing the touching. The idea of touching Aerith really set her off, and when Aerith pinched both nipples at the same time, Tifa moaned inside her own mouth and dropped her head back.  
  
"Aerith I want--" it came out without warning and she shut her mouth as fast as she opened it. Aerith looked down at her, so ready to listen, but Tifa shook her head. 'I shouldn't.' Tifa pressed two fingers in herself and the shame was dissipating. Here she was, flat on her back, legs spread, and she was pounding herself right in front of someone else. 'Life is crazy.' Every thrust felt amazing and just right, and each one was helped by the mouth kissing her ear and tweaking her breasts. She was close. She knew it. Aerith seemed to like it too. She was moaning just as loudly as Tifa which was beyond hot. Tifa was just about panting when her mind went blank and words flew out of her mouth. "Can you rub me out?" Tifa's hand slowed. She couldn't believe she actually said that, and she was feeling bad for it. It felt like cheating… it really did. But she couldn't sulk on it because Aerith wasn't having any problem with the idea. Her fingers zipped right to Tifa's clitoris and she stuffed her face into Tifa's hair that came undone on the pillow. Aerith was moaning. Really moaning. Tifa was going to combust. Any second now.  
  
"Tifa! You sound so good, baby." It was almost funny, Tifa was thinking the exact same thing. A moan snaked its way off Tifa's tongue and her body ached and pulsated as she slammed her fingers inside herself while Aerith rubbed her clitoris at the perfect rhythm.  
  
"Holy, shit… Aerith you're--mmmm!" Amazing. Perfect. Beautiful. She couldn't decide. A squeezing against her fingers let her know she was about to release and she pulled Aerith on top of her before devouring her mouth. It was a mess of tongue and teeth but they couldn't stop. Tifa's hips were bucking up into both of their palms and she was nearly crying into Aerith's mouth while Aerith comforted her with,  
  
"Cum. It's ok. Do it for me." Tifa couldn't tell if she was screaming or saying nothing at all but she finished, with her arousal gushing out onto her fingers for what felt like a minute straight of an orgasm. When Tifa was done she laid back and threw her arm over her eyes.  
  
"Fuck dude." Aerith laughed, sounding so giddy and cute against Tifa's cheek. "I--you--that was--I can’t." Aerith laughed again at Tifa's flustered slurs and pushed Tifa's hand away before she took that hand that was buried inside Tifa and licks from wrist to fingertip. "Aerithhhh," Tifa collapsed back onto the bed and rubbed at her eyes with her other hand. "You're just trying to kill me," she complained.  
  
"It'd be a nice way to die though…." Aerith mentioned, and Tifa smirked. Ten minutes went by of them just kissing and rubbing each other's sides. A little nagging thought was preaching in Tifa's mind though. When Aerith finally parted their lips and dropped her head on Tifa's shoulder, Tifa interrupted the silence.  
  
"Should you… also touch yourself?" Aerith sniffed before kissing Tifa's cheek and draped her arm along Tifa's stomach.  
  
"Tempting but let's wait because… well." Aerith got up on her elbow and made sure to look right into Tifa's eyes when she stated that, "If we were to start there's no way I wouldn't want you to fuck my brains out and you need some sleep tonight." Tifa’s brain stopped working for the rest of the night.  
__


	2. In the Thick of It

  
"No surprise here but you know I've never had sex, right?" Cloud blurts it out like it’s nothing and both women just smile shyly at each other before Tifa speaks up.  
  
"I haven't either."  
  
"I have," Aerith admits, shrugging. Cloud pouts just a little, pulling at his shirt collar. They had already made it over to Tifa and Cloud's apartment, so now they were all just sitting on the L shaped leather couch not paying attention to the TV that was lighting up the room.  
  
"Zack?" Cloud doesn't look happy when he asks that. Which is shitty of me, Cloud realizes. He just can't help it. Even though Zack was Aerith's first love, and also one of his best friends, Aerith was his now. And doesn't that keep me up sometimes. Cloud owed Zack his life but here he is taking his girlfriend. When Aerith forced him to tell her this one time, she kissed his hand and reminded him it was Zack who left her. Now Aerith leans over and bumps his shoulder with her's.  
  
"Yes. Only once if that makes you feel any better."  
  
"Sure doesn't," Cloud sighs, sinking further into the couch. He puts his hands behind his head and looks over at Tifa. A bout of nostalgia sinks in when he looks at just her, looking at him just like she did when they were kids. That’s her look when he’s being unreasonable. And she’s pretty much always right, too. Cloud wrinkles his brow before asking, “Doesn’t it make you… I dunno jealous?”  
  
“I mean we’re all adults here. Something petty like having sex with someone entirely out of the picture doesn’t really bother me,” Tifa answers earnestly, crossing and uncrossing her legs. The clock rang. It was already twelve at night, but none of them were feeling tired surprisingly. 'I guess that’s true.' Aerith moved to sit on Cloud’s lap and he idly held her lower back to keep her from falling. He looked up at her, and she pet the side of his head, lulling him peacefully into silence.  
  
“It’s not like we _have _to have sex anyway,” Aerith assures the two, making pointed eye contact. “Maybe we’ll just have one on one time instead of all three of us. I’m… not really sure how it’ll work. I mean,” Aerith shows doubt for the first time and fixes her hair behind her ear. “I’ve never had this kind of relationship before I don’t really know how to go about everything.”  
  
“You’re doing well so far,” Tifa notes, touching Aerith’s knee. “We all are, really.”  
  
“Definitely! Don’t you think so, Cloud?” He nods his affirmation and strokes her spine a little bit. Cloud looks at his hand that’s balled up in a fist next to his lap and undoes it, flexing his fingers.  
  
“Alright. Let’s try it. Now.” When he lifts his chin both women are shaking their head with smiles. “What?” Tifa flicks his arm and Aerith whacks his shoulder.  
  
“You don’t have a romantic bone in your body, do you?” He isn’t even surprised Aerith says that. He groans before sitting more upright and tugging Aerith close enough to bite the underside of her jaw.  
  
“I’ll show you,” he growls, making her swoon and grab hold of his head. This is always her weak spot. He always borders on being too rough and perfectly gentle and it drives both women absolutely insane. Cloud squeezes his eyes shut and pushes Aerith’s dress further up her thighs so he can feel as much skin as he can without getting too R-rated.  
  
“That feels so good,” she gushes, tugging at his hair a little bit. Tifa moves a little on the couch and looks anywhere but them, and Aerith opens her eyes to check on her. “Tifa,” she calls, “We can stop.” Cloud pasuses anyway, looking over at Tifa as well. He always could tell she got a little jealous anytime Aerith and Cloud kissed, but he could never figure out why. 'I mean, she’s totally ok when we all touch.' But his questioning of it never made him justify continuing if it clearly bothered her so much.  
  
“I have to get used to it,” Tifa says under her breath. Neither Cloud nor Aerith look happy with that so Tifa sits upright and says it again.  
  
“Fine. But we’ll stop if you tell us to,” Cloud reminds her.  
  
“Thanks,” she smiles. Then they all sit there for a few seconds before Aerith jumps in again, rubbing her hands together.  
  
“Tifa, take my place.”  
  
“But you just started…?” Aerith hops off of her boyfriend anyway and pulls Tifa up, giving her a little kiss on the nose before motioning over to Cloud. Tifa reluctantly straddles Cloud’s lap and he rubs her sides soothingly. Aerith has to chuckle to herself. They’ve known each other for years and they still act as awkward as ever. She puts a hand on her hip. 'What would they do without me?' Just when she thought that though, a little sting strikes her heart. 'They almost did lose me…' Aerith has to physically shake her head to forget it, and she can swear she feels a sudden pain in her back where a nasty scar still lingers. She clears her throat before waving her hands very animatedly.  
  
“Kiss, you goofs! Do I have to slam your faces together? Cuz I will!”  
  
“She will,” Cloud sighs, making Tifa snicker and lean in. Aerith gets so distracted watching their teasingly slow kisses that it takes her a full minute to pull herself out of her own wandering mind again. She silently stands behind Tifa and presses herself against her back, hugging her stomach before sliding one hand to rest against her large breast. Tifa makes an encouraging moan into Cloud’s mouth which he responds to with a jerk of his hips. 'Good,' Aerith thinks. She tries pulling at a nipple but the thickness of Tifa’s bra makes it challenging. Against Tifa’s ear, she asks,  
  
“Would you take your shirt off?” Tifa pulls away from Cloud to look over her shoulder then back to Cloud.  
  
“I don’t really want to do that, but I’ll take my bra off.”  
  
“That’s totally fine,” Cloud promises, rubbing her thighs again. Tifa swallows before reaching behind her back and tossing her bra to the side. Cloud makes sure not to stare at her free breasts and waits for her to start kissing him again. It makes her feel good that he starts kissing a little faster, clearly excited about her breasts being there for him. Aerith starts kneading and playing with her breasts much like last week and Tifa’s feeling unbearably hot at the memory. Cloud grabs Tifa’s face with both hands and sucks extra hard on her tongue before grabbing her backside and pulling her harder against his waist.  
  
“MM--mmm!” Tifa takes in a sharp breath and looks down, wanting to see the erection she’s feeling bumping against her inner thigh. She tries really hard to say something sexy, but she’s just not that kind of girl. Aerith however… Cloud whines when Aerith takes Tifa’s hand and rubs it against Cloud’s groin. “Aerith that’s a little _forward _,” Tifa complains, red in the face.  
  
“Don’t be so embarrassed you two! Play with each other more.” Aerith nudges Tifa’s hand again and Cloud looks more than interested.  
  
“Do we even have condoms?”  
  
“Yep!” Aerith looks behind her to find her jacket and happily unzips the breast pocket to drop four condoms on the couch.  
  
“Figures,” Cloud says with a roll of his eyes.  
  
“Why are you complaining?” Both Tifa and Cloud give each other looks before shrugging.  
  
“So… who’s first, then?” Tifa feels sort of bad getting Cloud first since Aerith is the one who didn’t even get to finish the last time she and Tifa were alone.  
  
“You guys earned it,” Aerith decides. “I vote that you get to have him inside you.” The phrasing makes the old friends shift uncomfortably before Aerith continues. “I doooo have one request though.” Aerith holds her finger up. “You guys should both orgasm together but I want Tifa to give me head and for Cloud to kiss me during it.”  
  
“How do you just say this stuff?” Cloud asks, rubbing his hand over his face. Tifa totally agrees.  
  
“It’s no big deal,” Aerith expresses tiredly. “Now do your thing!” Tifa and Cloud hum before smiling just a little. They sort of give themselves a second to just bask in the realization that this is real. Tifa looks down at him with a sparkle in her eye and kisses his forehead. It’s a little embarrassing, but she tells him that,  
  
“I’m… really happy to know you’ll be my first, Cloud.” Cloud has to force himself to be brave, and he feels silly to even be shying away from this. He hugs her and they both close their eyes. “We’ve just been through so much together,” she reminisces quietly into his ear. In a way, Tifa created Cloud… and then she broke him down and gave him the chance to be who he wanted to be. “I never thought you’d be real… for me. But now I know I expected too much and put you on such a high pedestal… I’m sorry Cloud.” Tifa was with him through everything, and the mistakes they made only brought them together stronger. Cloud could never blame her for one thing. Not ever.  
  
“None of that matters Tifa.” He crushes her with his arms. “I’m just sorry it took me so long.” The next words are on the tip of his tongue but he can’t force himself to say it first. Yet again, Tifa swoops in to save him.  
  
“I love you,” she whispers.  
  
“...I love you too.”  
  
“Awwwww,” Aerith’s eyes are literally watering and she hugs herself. Cloud and Tifa pull apart to bashfuly smile at their girlfriend. “You guys are just so cuteeee.”  
  
“So are you,” Tifa coos, pulling Aerith in to hug her and Cloud both before they all give each other little kisses. Aerith hands Cloud a packaged condom and he inspects it cynically before Tifa slowly takes it from him and tears it open. Aerith gave them a little space on the couch and sat back to watch. She honestly had no problem waiting for it because if anything, it just made her want the two even more. Cloud and Tifa silently agreed that any more foreplay wasn’t really necessary so Tifa stood up and Cloud undid his pants, tossing them someplace random, and sat down with his underwear while Tifa took off her skirt and socks. They took a minute to just check each other out before Tifa took the plunge and pulled off her underwear. A string of her arousal stuck to her leg and Cloud honestly felt dizzy. He hurried to lean forward and press a kiss against her navel before moving a little lower and kissing her mound. Tifa let out a shaky breath and pushed his shoulders back. She pointed at his underwear and he sat back, lifting his hips so she could help pull them off.  
  
“Damn,” Aerith cut in, staring right at it. 'Ok. Another point to him,' Aerith thought in awe. 'He’s huge.' And the look on his face showed he thought nothing of it. 'He really is a selfless guy.' He insecurely tried covering himself with his arm but Tifa rectified that by straddling one knee and finally allowing herself to touch his bare penis at least once before a condom covered it. It felt like all three of them let out the same mewl when her hand slid down him the first time.  
  
“I can’t wait any longer,” Tifa announces, smiling in excitement. She rolls the condom down him and settles fully on his lap. Her one hand drags the head of him against her before she presses him in just a little. “Uuuungh,” she drops her head forward, taking in a pained breath. It was clear she’s struggling to get past his head. He supportively kisses her cheek over and over.  
  
“It’s ok. We’ll get there,” he encourages. It makes her feel a whole lot better about it. Aerith’s watching with her knees up to her chest while she bites her thumb. Tifa finally gets far enough down to let go of him, instead grabbing on to his chest, kneading the muscle. When she gets even further, moving her waist so her wetness spreads along the length of the latex, he experimentally moves upward and she whines positively. She struggles to find a rhythm until Cloud starts moving a little more, and soon she’s rocking back and forth while he moves up and it starts building toward something great. Her breasts bounce in his face and he kisses them, feeling her hard nipples against his lips through the shirt. He nips at her and she purrs, riding him a little bit faster now.  
  
“Don’t push up any further ok? Right there’s…. Yeah.” She moans pretty loud in his ear and he groans right back at her. Cloud’s hands grip at her backside just because they can and he uses his hands to rock her into him just a little quicker.  
  
“You’re taking it really well,” Aerith applauds, keeping her hands to herself still. Tifa looks at her and smiles appreciatively.  
  
“You feel really really good, Cloud.”  
  
“Hot,” he says simply, showing how into it he is by tugging at her lip with his teeth. Ten minutes of this agonizingly pleasing roller coaster goes by and Cloud's still going, keeping up with her really well. He's loosening up too, moaning her name now and then. 'And I can't believe how good that sounds,' Tifa thinks with her head rolling back. She's at the point that it physically hurts not to finish and she's loving every second of it. She reaches down to her own clitoris and starts rubbing, enjoying that Cloud and Aerith are watching her too. There's no room to be embarrassed when she's so uncomfortably close. Their breaths and the slapping of their skin sounds so perfect and 'I can't take this much longer,' Cloud worries. He grunts and stills Tifa's hips out of nowhere.  
  
"What's wrong?" Tifa asks. Cloud barks out,  
  
"Aerith spread your legs." The women give him a confused look and he, short tempered as usual, says, "Just trust me." So Aerith does and Cloud lifts Tifa up, penis still inside her, and puts her back against Aerith's chest between her legs. Aerith instinctually holds Tifa's sides and Cloud forces both of them to lay back a little. "Tifa hold onto me so you don't put too much weight on Aerith." Tifa holds his neck tight, her muscles bulging in her arms and back, and Cloud stuffs his mouth and nose against Tifa's shoulder but keeps his eyes right on Aerith who's looking more than a little surprised. Cloud keeps both hands pressed against the couch and he starts moving his hips into Tifa at breakneck speed.  
  
"Cloooud!" Tifa's never sounded like that before. It's so squeaky and feminine and it's addicting as hell. Cloud pants into her skin, and Aerith is watching his face and rubbing Tifa's arms and sides the best she can. At least this position allows Aerith to get a little friction against Tifa's firm backside. Tifa's insides are squeezing down on Cloud to the point he can barely move, but he pushes through, slamming her and shifting all of their bodies up and down the couch making the wood cry. Tifa's loud and Cloud is almost right there with her.  
  
"C-can't hold it," Cloud moans, fucking her and feeling an immense sense of power over him and the girls for once. Aerith runs her fingers through his hair and with his eyes, he promises Aerith she has this coming too. She shivers hard right then. Suddenly Tifa's nails dig into his back and her head falls against Aerith's shoulder with some real force. And with one final push of his hips, and the feeling of Tifa's knees locking his hips into hers, a load of cum bursts out of Cloud and he whimpers into Tifa's hair. After they cool down for a minute, Cloud pulls out weakly and stands up shakily, peeling the condom off. So much of his ejaculate is pooling inside the tip, and Aerith whines in the back of her throat, hugging Tifa from behind still.  
  
“You don’t cum often, do you?” Aerith asks him. He clears his throat awkwardly and shoves on his underwear so he can throw away the condom. Cloud just answers with a shake of his head. As he walks away, Tifa winces when she moves, aching in her hips. “It’ll subside by tomorrow.”  
  
“Yeah,” Tifa breathes, biting her lip and bending down to get her underwear on. But just as she got the cloth around her knees, Aerith snatches her wrist and pulls them down again. “What are y--”  
  
“Shhh,” Aerith taunts, sinking down to the floor on her knees and pulling the material down as she goes. Aerith’s hand comes up to push Tifa back into the couch and then spreads her knees apart, kissing her thighs. Tifa’s mouth opens slightly and her tongue slips out against her bottom lip. Tifa reaches out to pet the top of Aerith’s head and Aerith looks up at her with a glint in her eye before adjusting her shoulders to be under Tifa’s thighs and moves her head in to lick up some of the arousal between her legs.  
  
“HH--holy shit, Aerith!” Tifa’s eyes shut tight and she lightly scrapes the top of Aerith’s scalp. Aerith’s tongue is licking wildly from the bottom up, and she playfully starts nipping at Tifa’s lips, teasing her sore entrance with the tip of her middle finger.  
  
“Damn,” Cloud states in surprise, just standing there in awe. Tifa’s face goes red but that doesn’t stop Aerith from her work. After another minute, Aerith is playing Tifa like a fine tuned guitar, plucking the strings with her dainty fingers and creating a beautiful harmony. Cloud watches, eyes completely transfixed as he starts getting harder and harder. He wants to give them space, but he can’t hold it in when Tifa bites at her palm to hold back her cries. Leaping forward, Cloud drops to the floor behind Aerith and wraps his arms around her stomach, pressing his hardening penis against her back and listening to her moan. His hands wander a second later, and he forces her dress up past her navel, surely wrinkling it terribly. He holds it up with one hand and then starts rubbing between her thighs over her soaking underwear.  
  
“Shit,” Aerith chokes, pulling off of Tifa with narrow eyes. “Don’t start Cloud. I want Tifa to--”  
  
“--Stop talking,” he orders her, pulling her further from Tifa and spinning her around as he stands up. Cloud mashes his lips against hers and she swallows her surprised gasp as his tongue prodes against hers. She clearly has no say in this anymore, and he lifts her up, wanting her to wrap her legs around him. Aerith does it, throwing her arms around his shoulders as well. He bites hard on her lip and she yelps when he pulls away, smirking at her. “Come on Tifa. It’s Aerith’s turn.” Tifa’s head is still spinning but she stands up as well, almost falling backward until Cloud grabs her by a sleeve and starts walking all three of them over to the bedroom.  
  
'God he’s hot,' Aerith thinks to herself.  
  
“C-Clouddd~!” Aerith was hoo-ing and humming and clutching the sheets like she was mad. Apparently when Cloud wanted to, he could be absolutely wild as opposed to his cool and level headed exterior. Right now he was doing his damndest to completely take Aerith apart, biting her lip, sucking on her skin, clawing at her ribs, and teasing her center with his knee. He opted to keep her dress on for now, enjoying seeing her mess herself up like this. It’s like his repressed energy was exploding outward and he wanted everything at once. Aerith’s back wasn’t even on the bed because she was arching so hard up into his mouth that was on her breast. Her head was so far tilted back that she could see both the bed and the headboard as it thumped against the wall. Tifa was kneeling on the bed, watching as Cloud moved. She was shocked by how he was acting but knowing he hardly ever touched himself and hadn’t ever done this before, she can’t say he doesn’t deserve his time to do whatever he wants. The way he growls his next words into Aerith’s neck chills Tifa down to the bone in the best way possible.  
  
“Aerith you earned this, huh? You’ve been trying to rile us up for months and now you’re gonna get the fucking you deserve.” Aerith’s head snaps up and she nearly busts her nose into his.  
  
“Dirty talk? I didn’t know you had it in you.” Cloud sneers and pins one of her wrists above her head, next to Tifa’s knee. The serious look in his eyes makes Aerith swallow but she’s too excited to resist. 'He is right after all. I haven’t touched myself once, egging myself on until I could FINALLY have release tonight. GOSH it’s going to be so so so so good!'  
  
“Don’t try teasing me. The only one who’s getting teased here tonight is you.” He leans down to kiss her hard, so hard it bruises her bottom lip. He pulls away, biting her with his teeth, and then he jerks his knee abruptly between her legs.  
  
“Hh! Yes!” Cloud puts his weight on his knees and lifts himself off of her, keeping the pressure against her clitoris so she can grind her hips into him. He looks at Tifa before glancing down at Aerith, looking triumphant.  
  
“Well. I hope you know we aren’t letting you finish so easily.” With the way Aerith was thrashing her hips, it was pretty clear she was close already. “You better tell us when you’re about to finish because I’m not allowing you to ‘till I say so. Got it?” Aerith whines but nods, getting her last few seconds of friction before he gets up from between her legs and pulls her forward so she’s sitting. “Unzip her dress, Tifa.” Tifa nods and gets to it, helping Cloud get it over Aerith’s head before she unclasps Aerith’s white lace bra, leaving her only in her matching underwear.  
  
“This bra is so cute,” Tifa comments, setting it down on the floor with the dress. Aerith smiles at her in response and Cloud rolls his eyes.  
  
“She’s almost naked and that’s what you say?” Cloud sighs. Tifa frowns at him and he brushes it off.  
  
“Hey don’t try scolding her,” Aerith corrects him. Cloud pouts and Tifa decides it’s her turn to take over.  
  
“Alright alright, scoot over,” Tifa tells Cloud. He shifts and rests his back against the headboard, twitching at the coolness of the wood on his bare back. He was just in underwear still while Tifa was only wearing her shirt. Tifa gently sets herself between Aerith’s legs and runs her fingers up and down the smooth expanse of skin. She slightly smiles as she looks into Tifa’s eyes and tells her that, “Cloud may be rough but I’m going to do things my way.” Aerith beams and wraps her arms around Tifa’s neck, hugging her for a moment before pulling back and resting on her elbows. Tifa’s eyes bounce up and down Aerith’s thin body, and her hands trace patterns all over her taut stomach. It’s a complete 180 from the ferociousness Cloud had with her, yet it feels just as amazing. Soon Tifa’s hands graze up from her stomach, taking the time to tease her nipples before moving up further so that her fingertips can knead and rub the back of Aerith’s head until her green eyes shut and she hums in appreciation. “Feels good?”  
  
“Mhm!” Aerith lets out a relieved sigh and drops her head back against the pillow. She notices that Cloud’s bigger hands gently pet the top of her head and she smiles up at him. He pretends not to like that and looks away, scratching his jaw. When Aerith shuts her eyes again, Tifa bends down to leave feathersoft kisses all over Aerith’s face.  
  
“I… have to confess I’m getting incredibly nervous,” Tifa mutters. She presses a kiss to Aerith’s mouth before sucking a little mark to the underside of Aerith’s jaw.  
  
“You’ll do great, baby.” Aerith’s knees bend and she presses her feet flat against the bed, pressing her legs against Tifa’s sides. Soon her hands come up to hold Tifa’s back and Tifa timidly grins before slowly moving to touch between Aerith’s thighs. “Mmm.”  
  
“W-wow. You really are ready, it seems. Hah. Don’t… know why I’m so surprised.” Tifa gazes down between their bodies and looks at her fingers, coated in Aerith’s arousal already. The stickiness is more noticeable than her own, and she can smell the difference too. Neither of those things are bad, and Tifa’s already appreciating the differences. 'So this is what her body can do. And it’s all for Cloud and I.' Tifa’s amazed by the smoothness that the arousal causes on Aerith as she slides her fingers from the clitoris down to her actual entrance. She plays with the speed and pressure, enjoying the little noises and abrupt movements Aerith makes. It’s hard for Tifa to get over the overall fact that this is real and the heat radiating off of Aerith alerts her to that reality. When Tifa’s mentally ready, she presses one finger inside of Aerith and both of them moan outwardly, staring into each other’s eyes. “Aerith….”  
  
“Feels… so good, already.” Aerith’s grip tightens into Tifa’s shirt and she pulls Tifa forward, wanting closeness. Tifa gives her this, using one arm to hold herself up while her other awkwardly presses in and out of Aerith. Lifting her head and straining her neck, Aerith kisses Tifa, trying to keep it slow and even much like Tifa’s fingers. And those fingers fit Aerith perfectly. With two, they’re just thick enough to fill her up comfortably while being long enough to crash into her g-spot every time. Soon Tifa starts getting the hang of it even better, curling her fingers at the right times and speeding up. She starts to use her muscles too, and pretty soon she’s slowly pulling out and then pounding in. “AH! Yes, please. More like that,” Aerith begs, digging her nails into Tifa’s back and crying when those muscles she likes so much are twitching and flexing under her hands.  
  
It stays like this for a while until Tifa feels a rush of arousal in her own stomach. This sudden urge to take everything from Aerith overwhelms her, and she wraps her arm around Aerith’s back, hugging her to her chest so the heart stopping moans echoing out of Aerith’s mouth are right up against her ear. Now Tifa doesn’t hold back, she starts pushing in and pulling out at breakneck speed, stretching her fingers as far as they can go and feeling a flood of Aerith’s wetness splash her palm and forearm. It’s so erotic, so perfect, and the two women’s breath are in sync as they thrive off of this moment until Aerith is clearly thrashing violently and getting ready to cum.  
  
“No no no,” Tifa quickly instructs, pulling out immediately and watching Aerith’s face as she pants. Aerith whines and aggravatedly clenches her fists in the sheets, clearly trying to get her body to stop before she’s too late. After one hard spasm, Aerith shakes her head and lets out a loud exasperated breath. “Still good?”  
  
“I didn’t finish,” Aerith tells her, finally looking over at Cloud who’s been watching the whole time silently. “You ok, Cloud?”  
  
“Yeah I wanted you guys to have a chance.”  
  
“Thank you.” Aerith gently pushes Tifa back so she can sit up and hug Cloud. She makes a cute little noise into the side of his face and kisses his temple. He hugs her back, patting her back. Tifa’s busy staring down at her hand completely coated in cum, and she’s having so many thoughts she can’t even pin one down. 'This is just so much. In a good way, of course!' Cloud finally lets up on his tough exterior and kisses Aerith’s forehead, pulling her into his lap and hugging her tightly.  
  
“I know you said you want oral but I sort of… uh.” Cloud trails off, suddenly getting embarrassed. He coughs and picks at a random little spot on Aerith’s skin where a freckle is. Aerith looks up at him and tries her hardest to encourage him with her green eyes alone. Tifa looks around for a wet wipe in the side table and uses it sparingly. “Sorry. Um. To be honest I want to know what you feel like. Inside.” Aerith and Tifa both look at him, surprised he said it. He gets discouraged of course. “Forget it.”  
  
“No,” Aerith retorts, holding the side of his face and running her thumb over his cheek bone. “I want you inside of me too.” Cloud blushes and nods. Aerith cheekily gets off of his lap and he just pulls her right back.  
  
“Turn around.” She does so with increasing excitement, and now her back is pressed to his chest and her knees are pressed into the comforter. “Tifa can you please hand me another condom?” She hands him one and opens it for him. He gets it on with Aerith’s help and he doesn’t give any warning before he raises her hips up himself and guides his achingly hard penis inside of her. She yelps and he freezes, having already gotten his head in.  
  
“You ok?” Tifa immediately asks, rubbing Aerith’s thigh. Aerith winces but nods, telling Cloud it’s ok to move again. He takes her hips and presses her further down. Her long, stifled moan drives both Cloud and Tifa crazy. Cloud lets her sit with him all the way inside her for a few seconds before he asks her to move her hips forward and backward while he moves up into her deeper.  
  
“Cloud, this is soooo so good,” Aerith tells him, reaching for one of his hands on her waist to move it to her stomach, interlacing their fingers. Tifa moves so she’s straddling Cloud’s legs and she asks for permission before trying to fumble with Aerith’s breasts and kissing her collarbone. Aerith’s insides stretch and constrict with every thrust Cloud does. Her body is hot with anticipation and pay off, and the way Tifa pulls on her nipples between two of her calloused fingers drives her wild. “Kiss me,” she demands. Tifa lifts her head and doesn’t have a chance to close the gap herself because Aerith attacks her mouth with her own. Aerith’s desperate tongue seeks Tifa right away, yet she can hardly even kiss because she’s so busy moaning and asking Cloud to fuck her harder and faster, and Tifa takes it upon herself to rub Aerith’s swollen clitoris with her thumb. “Mmmmmf! You’re both driving me insane,” she swears, hopping up and down on Cloud’s lap. Cloud himself is incapable of anything near speech. He’s just leaning his head back on the headboard and enjoying the view of Aerith’s backside bouncing and making his penis appear and then disappear like the best magic show you’ll ever see. He’s got his lip trapped between his teeth and his heart is hammering in his chest. With one hard thrust Aerith’s back twitches and she starts riding him unevenly, getting close now.  
  
“Cloud, let her finish,” Tifa tells him, peeking over Aerith’s shoulder. Cloud just nods yes and starts brutally pounding into Aerith, wanting her to be sore tomorrow so she’ll be forced to think about this for the next day or two with every step she takes. Aerith hugs Tifa to her as tightly as she can, and Tifa watches as Cloud’s eyes roll into the back of his head. He’s sweating on his brow and he wipes at it before pressing his lips between Aerith’s shoulders and letting out his own low moan.  
  
“Fuck,” Aerith whimpers, so close that it hurts now. She moans uncontrollably into Tifa’s hair and she isn’t even able to move her hips anymore from the soreness. Cloud helps her across the finish line, lazily jerking into her while they both hiss and feel themselves release at the same time. His hot semen warms her up pleasantly and Tifa’s body hums in delight watching the way Cloud whimpers into the back of his hand as he orgasms. Like a string pulled as far back as it can, it snaps forward unexpectedly, and both Cloud and Aerith sag after the sharp unbearable sting of time stopping pleasure.  
  
…..  
  
Tifa helps Aerith get off Cloud since she’s so obviously sore now. Cloud groans as he looks down at the condom, filled on the inside and coated in thick arousal on the outside from Aerith. He peels it off, making a mess on his stomach. Tifa helps him clean off with a wipe and he grunts appreciatively before falling back on his bed, totally spent now. Aerith rolls onto her side to rest her head on Cloud's chest and he puts an arm around her slim waist before motioning to Tifa to come rest against his other shoulder. She does so, hopping over both her significant other's legs, and pets Aerith's head across from her. It's funny seeing Aerith look so exhausted since she's always bouncing around unlike Cloud and Tifa. Her eyes are heavy and her mouth is slightly open so her tongue can lick at her dried lips. Smiling to herself, Tifa gets up on her elbow to look at Cloud who's already half asleep.  
  
"I hate to say this, but you both really need to go take showers and pee. You'll have too much bacteria build up otherwise." Aerith just whines and Cloud acknowledges Tifa with a slow nod.  
  
"Aerith you gotta get off." Aerith looks up at him with narrow eyes and he grins slightly before sitting up, holding Aerith with him. "Tifa?" She already knows what he's asking, and she gets off the bed to pick up Aerith herself, bridal style.  
  
"Come on babe. I'll clean you off." She presses kisses to Aerith's head the whole rest of the time and gets her in the shower with Cloud, wanting to shower alone, but helping those two as promised. Aerith's so tired she can hardly hold herself up, so Cloud doesn't let go and neither does Tifa, just like always.  
____


	3. Loose Ends

  
The Next Day:  
  
The three of them woke up feeling completely refreshed which was a total 180 for Cloud and Tifa who had been working themselves rampant. Tifa chuckles seeing as Aerith threw herself across both Cloud and Tifa over night, blessing Tifa with Aerith’s face right against her’s. Somehow even in the morning, Aerith looks amazing as she pulls away and flutters her green eyes open. Cloud wakes up last, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes with one hand and petting Aerith’s boney hip with the other. Tifa’s certainly the most awake of all of them so she decides to greet everyone first.  
  
“Hey Cloud.” She brushes her knuckles against his firm chest and he nods at her. “How are you Aerith? You feeling ok?” Aerith blinks hard before her eyes shine like usual.  
  
“Glorious,” Aerith replies, her lips growing into a big cheeky smile. Cloud slowly pushes Aerith off of him and sits up, rubbing the back of his neck. “What’s wrong, Cloud?”  
  
“Gonna brush my teeth and get my clothes on,” he tells the two, already standing up and moving to the dresser. All any of them put on last night was their underwear and bras (except for Tifa who made sure to also wear her shirt). Speaking of Tifa and her shirt…. The second Cloud leaves the room, Aerith wraps her arms around Tifa’s shoulders and adjusts herself so she can also look into Tifa’s warm eyes. She picks at said t-shirt with a pinch of her fingers and Tifa makes a face.  
  
“Why did you wear this last night? And now. Are you not confident with how you look? Because I have to call bullshit, you are absolutely jaw droppingly stunning.” Tifa timidly glances up at the ceiling and Aerith leans over her more, demanding eye contact. Tifa gives it to her begrudgingly as she tells her that,  
  
“I have a nasty scar below my breasts. It… it was from Sephiroth in Nibelheim.” She shuts her dark eyes and the memory comes back, making her skin jump. Aerith calms her down with a quiet hum, reminding her she’s not actually there, in Nibelheim, with a sword deep in her chest, and Tifa opens her eyes again, greeted by watery greens. “Hey…” Tifa holds Aerith’s back a little firmer, and her fingers graze over Aerith’s own deep scar from the same awful blade. The way they’re laying, their scars are lined up, and the realization of that is probably why Aerith is getting all misty eyed in the first place. Aerith chokes back a real cry and Tifa’s eyes soften even further. She hates seeing Aerith cry no matter the reason, but in this case it hurts more than usual, and she sits up, easing Aerith into her lap so she can hug her properly. The sharp, muffled breaths from her girlfriend only get louder as Tifa’s finger carefully touches along the scar on Aerith’s back. It feels so much like her own, but the outcome was so much worse at the time since the recovery’s probability was less than nothing. That fear comes flooding back in Tifa’s mind, and her skin chills everywhere Aerith isn’t pressed against. She can vividly recall the way Cloud stood behind her as she was crouched in front of Aerith’s dying body. Tifa could hardly touch Aerith before she flung herself off of the floor and sprinted away crying that day. There’s a hitch in her own breath that she promptly stops, just reminding herself to be thankful that such a scarring experience was thwarted in the end because Aerith is right here, real and alive with her heart rapidly beating against Tifa’s, and her arm shaking over the brunette’s thick shoulders.  
  
“I’m so sorry,” Aerith cries, not holding back the tears this time. Tifa’s heart twists in her chest, and she swallows down the pain, refusing to allow it. Tifa stuffs her face into Aerith’s neck and kisses it while she rubs her back over and over as it vibrates from her crying.  
  
“It doesn’t matter anymore. You’re here. I’m here. Cloud is here.” Just as she says that, the blonde walks in with his clothes on and his hair fixed, and he worries his brows at the sight before him. He hugs one arm around himself and stands there awkwardly, not exactly sure what he’s even come in on. Tifa knows Aerith only ever cried about her own situation with Sephiroth once which was unbelievable. And at that time, she was too worried about the others to even talk about it or cry in front of them. So right now, the dam holding back all of the emotions inside Aerith just bursts and she’s suddenly clutching onto Tifa with all of her strength, and wailing against her shoulder so violently that her throat becomes raw. The skin around Cloud’s eyes wrinkle and Tifa gives him a look that says all he needs to know. With speed, he gets on the bed and hugs not only Aerith, but Tifa. That just seems to make Aerith cry harder, but with both of the people’s support who love her more than anything else in the entire planet, she’s finally starting to feel the peace she’s always sought after. Both Cloud and Tifa feel like the sounds of Aerith’s cries will never erase from their minds, but they vow to never have such pain be bottled up inside of her again. Ever.  
  
A Few Hours Later:  
  
Cloud and Tifa decided to take the day off from whatever they were planning so that all three of them could just bask in the Godsend of a release that was last night and this morning. Tifa was however, a little skeptical when Yuffie and Barret said they’d open the bar for her tonight, but she tries to shove that thought into the back of her mind while she’s watching Cloud and Aerith pick flowers together.  
  
“The order calls for lots of yellow. So just pick whichever ones you think are cute, Cloud.” The blonde grins in response, holding his basket and standing stock still on the small hill next to Tifa and Aerith who are busy with their own orders to fulfill.  
  
“Am I really a good judge of what’s cute and what isn’t?” Tifa chuckles at that and cautiously picks up some white and pink flowers that are dug deep in the soft soil. Aerith rolls her eyes and points her finger up at him.  
  
“Oh stop being such a pouty pants and pick some damn flowers!” Tifa laughs again, always enjoying the way Aerith scolds him. She has no time for his BS and it’s a nice change of pace compared to everyone else who just brushes his lack of enthusiasm aside.  
  
“Besides,” Tifa starts, “They’re flowers. And they’re grown by Aerith. All of them are cute.”  
  
“Awww,” Aerith coo’s, making Tifa smile at the ground like a fool. For her sweet comment, Aerith grants her a soft kiss on the cheek and settles down on the ground right against Tifa. Cloud watches with his own more subtle grin and gets to work. After about a half hour of this, they finish up, and Elmyra calls them in, hollering across the garden for them to come in for lunch.  
  
“She didn’t have to do that,” Tifa comments thankfully, helping Aerith stand up. Aerith smirks and dusts herself off, grabbing Cloud’s basket when he hands it to her.  
  
“Mom doesn’t have to do a lot of things but she always does. Let’s go before she has to repeat herself and then we’re really in trouble.” As they eat, Elmyra proves that she’s truly warmed up to Cloud and Tifa. Before, it seemed like the woman could hardly stand the sight of them, especially Cloud who just embodied everything Elmyra didn’t like about Zack from years before. She wasn’t wrong in her worries either; Cloud never blamed her. She made a delicious spread of fresh food, and Cloud was trying to control himself but it was just so good that he couldn’t help but scarf it down. Aerith was sitting between her two significant other’s, and Tifa did not like the sly look coming up on her face. Tifa raises a brow in question, just to be told a horrifying answer. “I’m gonna tell her,” Aerith whispers as Elmyra walks to the sink nearby to get water.  
  
“ _Hell _no,” Cloud warns her, having heard that.  
  
“I’m going to,” Aerith repeats, sounding stern. Cloud tugs at a spike on the side of his head and hands this conversation over to Tifa, who sets a hand on Aerith’s white covered knee.  
  
“Think about this,” Tifa tries, glancing over at Elmyra who’s ignorant to this entire conversation. “It could completely change her perspective on all of us.” Aerith pouts her lips. “Seriously, I don’t think it’s a good idea. What’s the problem with letting her think we’re all single or that you’re just dating Cloud?” Looking completely unsatisfied, Aerith picks at her food with her antique fork. Cloud sighs loudly and drops his hand against the table.  
  
“We’re screwed,” he breathes, shaking his head.  
  
“Aerith…” Tifa begs. It was all to no avail, because the second Elmyra sits down, Aerith opens her mouth.  
  
“So Mom?”  
  
“...Yes?” Elmyra eyes her daughter as she takes a sip of her water. She has a sneaking suspicion that whatever Aerith is about to say is probably some huge revelation. Funny how anything Aerith says when she starts like that usually is.  
  
“What if I told you I was dating Cloud?” The man in question stills and looks at Aerith skeptically. Elmyra sets her glass down and raises a hand casually.  
  
“I wouldn’t be too surprised. He’s certainly your type.” Cloud’s ears get a little red.  
  
“Really?” he asks Aerith, who grins and pinches his cheek.  
  
“Of course you are, silly.” Then Aerith looks at Elmyra again. “So Mom…?” Her mother closes her eyes and answers again, playing along as she bites into her apple turnover. “What if I was actually dating Tifa?” Elmyra clears her throat, nearly choking on a little piece of apple, and sets the rest of the treat down.  
  
“I’d be… surprised, I guess.”  
  
“But not against it?” Aerith asks, trying to keep her voice neutral as she prods deeper.  
  
“No. Not against it. She’s quite attractive as well.” Tifa grins a little as a thank you and Aerith rubs her shoulder.  
  
“It’s not just cuz she’s attractive that I like her though, Mom.”  
  
“Of course not,” Elmyra refutes, wringing her hands together under the table. This is… new to her to say the least.  
  
“Sooooo what if I was actually dating both, Cloud and Tifa?” Elmyra raises her brows and looks between all three of them. The only one who meets her eyes is Aerith. Elmyra opens her mouth but nothing really comes out. “Mom?”  
  
“Yes. Um. T-that’s fine, I suppose. I didn’t know people actually do that, but… that’s… fine.” Aerith can’t hold back the laugh and all three of the other people in the room glare at her.  
  
“This is so embarrassing,” Tifa complains, holding her hand against her face. Cloud just groans and throws his head back, staring up at the ceiling.  
  
“Oh come on,” Aerith huffs, grabbing Cloud’s collar and pulling him closer. “This isn’t so bad. Now we don’t have to worry about telling her later, right?” Elmyra, closes her eyes and drinks her water, shaking her head.  
  
“Still,” Tifa argues, staring down at her plate. “It feels so… awkward. I’m sorry Ms. Gainsborough. I didn’t think she should have told you in the first place. We don’t like to show any affection in public so you are spared from that at least.”  
  
“What?! No way! Now that Mom knows I’m going to kiss and hug you both all I want while we’re in this sector.”  
  
“You’re crazy,” Cloud concludes. “No way is that happening.” Aerith drops her head before snapping upright again.  
  
“Mom. Tell them it’s normal for me to want to just hold their hands in public.” Elmyra sucks in a breath. It’s a tough situation.  
  
“I wouldn’t worry too much about the comfort of other people,” Elmyra says, “But I wouldn’t want to hear everyone gossip behind my back constantly.”  
  
“Exactly,” Cloud agrees, going back to eating now since he has so little left. Aerith sags her shoulders and Tifa can’t allow that, so she holds Aerith’s hand under the table.  
  
“But that,” Aerith points out, lifting their joined hands and putting it on the table. “What’s wrong with one of you comforting me even if it’s out by the ramen shop?”  
  
“...I don’t know,” Tifa admits, feeling a little flustered.  
  
“It’s just very different,” Elmyra comments, unable to take her eyes off of her daughter’s and Tifa’s hands.  
  
“Yeah well ‘different’ is nothing new for us,” Aerith stresses. “I talk to spirits! Who else do you know who can do that? Hmm?” All three of the other’s quiet down and glance at each other. Elmyra lets out a quiet breath and shrugs.  
  
“You aren’t wrong.”  
  
“Of course I’m not,” Aerith announces proudly, getting Cloud to flick her side. “I’m tired of feeling guilty about it, not that I ever really did, but YOU guys do, and I’m sick of it! Just let it go. Don’t we deserve to just be happy after all we’ve done?” Cloud and Tifa lock eyes, agreeing with Aerith’s sentiment this time.  
  
“...We’ll take it slow,” Tifa relents, squeezing Aerith’s hand as she says so. Aerith beams at her and then kisses Cloud’s cheek, leaving some of her pink lipstick on his skin that he’s completely unaware of. Tifa grins and reaches over to get it off for him, and he nods in thanks before sitting back and lazily putting his arm around Aerith’s shoulder.  
  
“You three really are something else,” Elmyra declares, smiling a little as she stands up, taking Tifa’s empty plate with her.  
  
“Thank you.”  
  
“No worries, dear.”  
  
“Yeah. Thanks Mom.” Aerith shoots her mother an earnest flash of her eyes and Elmyra nods her head, smiling at her.  
  
Later On:  
  
They just finished the last flower delivery in Sector 5 at the orphanage when Aerith accidentally cut herself on glass. It happened fast; a little boy was playing with a vase the flowers were going to be put in when he couldn’t reach the shelf again and it went crashing down. Aerith hurried to catch it so it wouldn’t fall on his face, and the glass shattered against the floor and bounced back up to cut her hands in four different places.  
  
“Ms. Aerith!” The boy cried, panicked and scared as he shook.  
  
“It’s ok, just step back,” Aerith insisted, bleeding everywhere. One of the adults working rushed to get a dust pan while another took Aerith by the arm and guided her over to a sink. With his help, Aerith got bandaged up and disinfected. After making sure the mess was cleaned up, Aerith went outside. And that’s when she comes face to face with Cloud and Tifa.  
  
“What happened?” Cloud asks right away. Tifa takes Aerith’s hands in hers and inspects them, gently running her thumb over the bandaids.  
  
“It’s nothing. A little kid just dropped something is all.” Said little kid sprints out of the front door and throws himself against Aerith’s back, hugging her and stuffing his face between her shoulder blades.  
  
“I’m so sorry, Ms. Aerith! I-I wasn’t t-trying to--”  
  
“--It’s ok, Oli. You didn’t know.” She turns and he still holds onto her, shaking less now. Aerith pats his curly haired head and he sniffs before letting go of her. “Now go have fun, ok? For me.” Oli smiles a little and Aerith loves that. She boops his nose and he giggles before taking off. Tifa’s hand comes to rest on Aerith’s hip.  
  
“You’re really good with children,” Tifa mentions, not realizing how easily she’s showing affection in front of a few people passing by as she fixes Aerith’s bangs and pulls her in for a short hug.  
  
“You too. Do you know what that means, Cloud?” She beckons him over with her finger and he comes like an obedient dog. Aerith kisses him on the lips and a little kid somewhere off to the side makes a noise of disgust. “It means we’re going to need someone to get us pregnant.” Tifa scoffs and Cloud scratches the back of his head.  
  
“Don’t know about all that,” Cloud mumbles. Aerith whacks his shoulder and he furrows his brows at her.  
  
“You’ll be an amazing father, Cloud! And Tifa will be a ten out of ten mother! You can’t deny that.”  
  
“Well....” Tifa crosses and uncrosses her arms looking unsure. “I guess that’s a decision for another time.”  
  
“Or tonight if we decide to play our little game all over again.” Aerith gets on her tippy toes and drags a nail across Cloud’s neck, pressing down on a faint hickey she left. Cloud clears his throat, getting hot in the face, and Tifa scolds them.  
  
“Can we not talk about this in front of an orphanage?” Aerith turns around and a gang of children have their eyes glued to the scene. She laughs and walks the three of them down the tight congested streets toward Sector 7. “Where are we going now?”  
  
“Let’s stop at that little park,” Aerith requests.  
  
“For what?” Cloud asks, feeling like touching Tifa. He struggles with it for a second before he takes her hand in his, and she looks up at him with semi-surprised eyes. Cloud just squeezes her hand tighter and she eases into it, following after Aerith. When they get to the empty little park, the sun starts to go down, and it’s golden hour now. Aerith runs toward the big cat jungle gym in the middle of the dusty old park, and climbs her way to the top, sitting on its head between the ears. Tifa climbs up next with Cloud following closely behind, and they all sit thigh to thigh in a row, looking up at the clouds. It’s a quiet, serene moment that stretches on until Cloud opens his mouth. “Are you guys still happy we’re together? Like this.” Aerith and Tifa both turn their heads and in unison, answer with a resounding,  
  
"Yes." Cloud hums and leans back on his palm, feeling content. There's a weight in his heart that's comfortable unlike the crippling guilt he's always reminded of when he's alone. He doesn't feel like he's entirely himself to this day, but Aerith and Tifa are always with him, and they're willing to help no matter their own situations. Out of the corner of his eye, he peeks at both of them, feeling his heart beat just a little faster as the sun reflects in their shiny eyes. 'They're beautiful,' he thinks to himself, feeling like he doesn't deserve them in the slightest. But no matter how much doubt he shows, the two of them always have a way of reminding him that he’s being unreasonable. They love and need him just as much as he needs them. Starting with Aerith who's closest, Cloud puts his arm around her and hugs her to his chest.  
  
"I love you, Aerith." Her breath catches slightly in her throat before she says it back, hugging him tightly. "I love you so much," he repeats, needing her to know. He holds her waist and pulls back, looking into her eyes as he tells her, "I'm still sorry I wasn't there for you." Aerith tries to correct him yet he pushes onward. "I need to get over it, I know. But everytime I look at you, I think about my failure." She looks genuinely pained at that, so he kisses her. It's otherworldly how nice his lips feel against hers. His rough exterior is completely thrown off kilt with the feathery touch of his lips and the amount of passion he puts into it, kissing her for as long as he can before he runs out of breath. When they stop, he puts his forehead against hers. "But I can't do that anymore. I want to stop thinking about the bad and embrace the good now. You know?" Aerith gives him a confident smile and runs her fingers through his hair, careful not to mess up any spikes.  
  
"I love you, Cloud." He kisses her one more time, just pressing his mouth to hers, and then he looks over her shoulder at Tifa who seems content, keeping herself quiet as not to break their moment. He asks Aerith to switch spots with him and he lifts her over his lap, setting her down to his opposite side with ease. Now he shifts so he's turned toward Tifa who's crossing her legs and adjusting her gloves.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Hey," she says back, grinning. "You don't need to spill your soul to me Cloud. We've already done all that." The blonde keeps his face serious nonetheless, and he starts fixing her glove for her. It's somehow more intimate than any kiss. These are her gloves. The ones she uses everyday and puts on before any other piece of clothing. They're her shield, her protection from the outside world that she can never get rid of even when said world is at peace again. Cloud lifts her hand up to his mouth and kisses her palm. Tifa's lashes flutter and Cloud touches the side of her face, liking how she leans into it. He feels special when she does something like that.  
  
"I don't think I can ever thank you enough," he states. His cold eyes seem warmer than a stack of wool blankets as he stares at her, and Tifa gets lost in those maka blues just like she did all those years ago. The amount of history between them just sits on their shoulders at times like these when there aren't any distractions. Soon they're transfixed with each other's lips, and they move in without even realizing, meeting perfectly halfway. Their tongues tingle when they touch, only for a second. His minty breath fills her nostrils and she takes his bottom lip with a subdued hunger built up over all this time.  
  
She thinks back to that night under the Highwind, when she begged him to touch her. They had gotten so close to crossing the line into sexual territory, but he stopped it. He had told her that it wasn't the right time. She recalls scoffing at that, reminding him what the next day had in store, but he just said it again, finishing with a promise that tomorrow won't be their last. And she's glad now. That night was amazing, finally feeling someone touch her who meant more than lust and intoxication. She had loved him for so long already, but he was right. The two of them were distraught that night, losing Aerith only days before. They had no idea that Aerith would end up returning to them after Sephiroth's death, and if they had had sex that night, it would have been tainted by their sorrow.  
  
Back to now however, as Cloud kisses her soundly and rubs her sides, she feels like it’s perfect. These are the kisses she always wanted. Last night, with Aerith and Cloud both, was the intimacy she always craved. Tifa knows in her heart that things are exactly how she's always wanted. She can finally just be happy, and Cloud feels much the same.  
  
"Mm," Tifa mewls, parting with Cloud’s mouth. His hand is still on her face and both of hers are kneading his chest before she looks over at Aerith, beckoning her over. "Come here sweetheart." Aerith crawls over, struggling with her dress before leaning against Tifa's side and hugging her. Cloud rubs Aerith's back as the two women hug, and he's finally smiling tonight. "You two are the best things that have ever happened to me," Tifa tells them, kissing Aerith's flower scented hair. Aerith squeezes her just a little tighter and kisses Tifa's lips, humming.  
  
"Yeah. For me too," Cloud exhales.  
  
"Me three," Aerith adds, smiling with her bright white teeth. "You're better than any flower out there," she jokes.  
  
"High praise," Cloud chuckles, pretending not to like it.  
  
"You and your sarcasm." She flicks his forehead and he playfully flicks her back.  
  
"Alright alright," Tifa interjects, stopping this before the two get out of control and start flapping their hands around like little kids. "Let's say we head home?"  
  
"Ok," Aerith sings, jumping off the cat's head and spinning around dramatically. "How about a race? Hmm? Last one there has to do whatever the other two say for the night." Cloud shrugs and jumps down next, holding a hand out to Tifa.  
  
"That doesn't sound too bad," Cloud mumbles.  
  
"Well if I'm first, I get to decide what the other two do. And mine relates to taking care of the bar for a whole week."  
  
"A week?!" Cloud exclaims. "I don't wanna do that!"  
  
"Welp, I better win then," Tifa snickers and takes Aerith’s hand for a second. "Ready to see me win?" Aerith beams at her and they take off without warning.  
  
"What?! No fair!" Cloud hurries to catch up, and they're all sprinting down the streets, sabotaging each other by tossing random rocks and whatnot at one another’s feet. It's the most fun any of them have had in a long time, and they won't be forgetting it soon. Maybe this good memory can replace a bad one, after all.  
  
Oh. And Tifa did win by the way.  
__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to those of you who spent time reading this and/or commenting. I appreciate it beyond belief. It was nice doing something short again. I feel like I have lots to say about Aerith, Tifa, and Cloud so I may end up coming back one day... but right now I'm working on a pretty hefty Makoto/Joker thing for Persona 5 (not Royal). So if you're into that, chapter one is out now (July 14, 2020).

**Author's Note:**

> So not about the ending to FF7 Remake but whatever. The rest of the game made me scream so I guess we're even Square Enix. Also Jessie was SO cute. It helps her voice actress was the same as P5's Futaba Sakura. I wrote this piece right after I played... three months ago now? Not sure why I sat on the piece for so long.


End file.
